I was waiting for Michael to come into hospital in December 2005 when I hoped we would all be joined together again. Michael did come in for the operation and the surgeon, Mr Greer, deftly removed the diseased bone on Michaels' femur and the hip socket was modified for me to fit. Mr Greer drilled, hammered and glued me into place and finally closed up the incision; I was now part of Michaels' anatomy.
As the time for Michael's discharge from hospital drew closer, I noticed that the area around me was not healing very well and did not want to dry up. Mr Greer would not let Michael home until the wound had been dry for at least 24 hours. Antibiotics were pumped into Michael day and night to try and fight this infection but to no avail.
Mr Greer took Michael back to theatre, opened up the hip and tried to flush out the infection that surrounded me. As the theatre lights slowly disappeared, I was on my own again. Michael was taken into recovery where morphine was administered to relieve the burning sensation like lemon juice being squeezed into an open wound. I heard Michael comment "It was the most painful experience in his 54 years on this planet."
I was in the dark for days waiting for this infection to clear up but it never did. At some point I recognised the theatre lights and Mr Greer this time was fitting a dressing with a big sponge attached and this in turn attached to a vacuum pump. They were going to try and suck the infection from round and about me. Michael had a mishap with this dressing as the hose attached to the dressing became dislodged and had to return to theatre for a replacement.
Christmas and the New Year came and went and we were both still in hospital with no real signs of a solution and recovery.
Again I saw the lights of the theatre, this time Mr Greer was going to remove me from Michaels' femur as the Microbiologists had now discovered that I could be the cause of the infection; an allergy they called me. But I am a hip replacement joint I thought to myself -the left hip is OK, so why not me? Anyway I had to come out. But I came out fighting as it took Mr Greer about 6 hours to remove me, plenty of damaged and broken instruments, Michael having to receiving about 6 pints of blood.
I was replaced with a stage 1 hip revision, which is a spacer that maintains the gap between the top of the femur and the pelvis. The wound was closed up and Michael went back to the ward via recovery.
Michael takes up his own story from here as I am no longer part of him.
I was allowed home at last and with a follow up appointment in a few weeks, also an appointment to see the allergy clinic at the hospital in the next town to me. To cut a long story short, patch tests proved that I am allergic to Nickel, Palladium, Mercury and Copper Sulphate.
In the meantime the stage 1 revision displaced and I had no use of my right leg at all. To put weight on it was like standing in a bucket of jelly. This caused me to have another stay in Hospital as it worried me so much as to what had happened and what the consequences could be!!
6 weeks later in late March 2006 I was re-admitted for a stage 2 revision to be fitted; this was to be a brand new hip replacement - everyone had everything crossed that could be crossed to ensure the success of this operation. Again the days came and went and finally the day before my birthday (19th April 2006) I found myself in a wheelchair being wheeled out of the ward and homeward bound with fond farewells from staff and patients alike.
Fresh air never smelt as good as it did that day.
After being at home for some 5 weeks now I saw Mr Greer today (23 May 06) and is very happy with the way things are progressing.
I have to see him again in July, this time X-rayed before I see him.
I have an appointment with Physiotherapy this Thursday (25 May 06)and they will probally want to twist my hip and leg into places where God never intended my hip and leg to go!!!
Physiotherapy saw me this morning (25th May 06) after an hour's wait, and I then became their performing seal. Walk this way on two crutches, then on one crutch, try this exercise on the parallel bars, do this, do that, do the other - (I wish) I do not know what was the worst - the operations or the physio. I think the physio as they must have trained in the SAS or some other ruthlessly vindictive organisation who like inflicting pain on the vunerable. At least after the torture period was over I was informed that they were discharging me from their care. Their care? I would rather have undergone the Royal Marines induction course than that!!!
As things progress, I will update this site and let eveyone know what is happening to me.
Mike Chapman
